Welcome to the fourth Tasteless Tastings installment, which is exactly what it sounds like: tasting notes from the riffraff. If you follow the liquor industry to any capacity, you probably have come across snooty tasting notes from classy people who make the new spirit sound more like a science experiment than something you consume for fun or to forget the world around you. I want to shoot gayly forward from the hip and tell you how it really tastes. So each time the nice mailman brings me a sample to try, I’ll gather up some friends and we’ll have a candid, lively and unpolitically correct discussion about said sample. So let’s do it …

Yes, please!

What are we drinking today?: Michter’s 10 Year Rye

What the hell is it?: It’s the 2017 release of Michter’s 10-year single barrel Kentucky straight rye whiskey.

Why do we care?: Not only are these 10-year releases usually incredible, but this whiskey marks the first 10-Year Rye release from Michter’s new master distiller, Pam Heilmann (whom I had a chance to interview a few months back).

Give me the nerdy numbers: The whiskey is 92.8 proof, and it retails for $150.

What do we think?: It’s no surprise this shit is delicious! It’s Michter’s, after all, and it’s 10-year-old whiskey! The panel I put together loved it as well, although they had trouble correctly pronouncing Michter’s — which is a combination of the founder’s children, Michael and Peter, and should be pronounced “Mickter’s.” Here’s how this whiskey blew their minds …

Erik: (Admiring the bottle) The mix of the bourbony color and green is always nice.
Britany: I like the shape of the bottle, the colors, but the A needs some kerning.
Cara: Smells fruity.
Britany: Look how much I got! You’re quite generous with your pours.
Cara: It tickles my nose.
Tracy: It smells divine. (Takes sip.) Oh my gosh … that’s sooo good.
Britany: I like that it doesn’t burn.
Erik: It’s got some spice but doesn’t have bite. It’s kinda buttery.
Cara: I’d like this in the winter, when it’s snowing outside.
Britany: It reminds me more of an Irish whiskey than a bourbon.
Tracy: I can see why she (Pam Heilmann) released this. It’s fantastic. I didn’t realize I liked rye!
Britany: I prefer rye.
Cara: I’m just gonna put one little ice cube right in the middle. … The ice definitely brings out more flavor.
Tracy: It’s good with the ice.
Britany: Wow, it brings out some flavor that wasn’t there before. It has a dessert flavor to it now.
Tracy: I taste butter.
Sara: It hits you in the back. I like it.

The group all agreed: Michter’s Rye is a winner!

Britany: This one is very buttery. The ice brings out the greasy-ness.
Tracy: It’s the perfect whiskey for when you’re just sitting around with friends … like now!
Cara: It’s like safe crack — or socially acceptable crack.
Tracy: It’s a nice piece of toast.
Erik: It’s like the tannins in wine, and I don’t even know what tannins are.
Tracy: Is this the first one we’ve all agreed on?
Sara: Yes, I believe it’s the first one we’ve all unanimously loved … now give me that bottle back!
Erik: It places high on the Michter’s Scale.